Watch as a natural-born terror strategist shares his rationale for being scared of spiders!

The science of-- OH GOD IS THAT A SPIDER?!

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I'm scared of spiders. I'm not afraid to admit it. I love them in a scientific sense, or from a "let me look at you from way over here" sense, but that's as close as I get.

Here's a look at the science of why some of us are afraid of spiders, snakes, roaches, and other creepy crawlies. Did I evolve to be this way, or did I learn to be afraid of them? It seems to be an open question…

How dangerous ARE spiders? http://burkemuseum.blogspot.co....m/2010/09/q-how-dang

Humans may have evolved to pick out spiders and snakes from environment: http://www.apa.org/news/press/....releases/2001/09/sna

The overlapping worlds of fear conditioning from innate fear: http://instruct.uwo.ca/psychol....ogy/371g/Ohman2001.p

Doctor Who study suggests that spider fear may not be innate: http://www.wired.com/2014/01/d....octor-who-and-spider

Most common phobias: http://psychology.about.com/od..../phobias/p/commonpho

Adults and kids pick out creepy animals quicker than non-creepy animals: http://www.livescience.com/2348-fear-snakes.html

Children report spiders as a top fear: http://www.sciencedirect.com/s....cience/article/pii/S

List of clips featured in this episode: http://bit.ly/1xFhdO9

Produced for PBS Digital Studios

Joe Hanson - Host and writer
Joe Nicolosi - Director
Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer
Katie Graham - Director of Photography
Stephen Bohls - Editing/Motion Graphics
John Knudsen - Gaffer

Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod

Thumbnail photo: specnaz/Shutterstock

Stock images via Shutterstock

Music: "Two Boys and a Girl" - Podington Bear

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